POINT OF SALE

startribune.com/pointofsale

Need extra cash for the holidays? It's in your older TVs, computersWe can all use a little extra cash during the holidays or just after the holidays when bills start arriving. One of the easiest sources of found money in the next week lies in any flat screen TVs, computer monitors or laptops you purchased between January 1999 and December 2006.

Because companies such as Hitachi, LG, Sharp, Samsung and Toshiba were found guilty of price fixing, consumers can get a minimum of $25 to $100. But amounts could easily rise to $250 per LCD screen, depending on the number of people who file a claim, said Alison Buckneberg, communication specialist at Gray Plant Mooty in Minneapolis, one of a dozen law firms that managed the $1.1 billion settlement in a San Francisco U.S. District Court.

This settlement is considered one of the most consumer-friendly settlements ever because claimants do not have to show proof of purchase or even identify the manufacturer or model number. Even better, consumers are eligible for cash rewards, not a rebate on a future purchase.

So far 18,000 Minnesotans have requested a claim, which is among the highest number of claims of any state, exceeded only by California and Wisconsin. Twenty-four states are included in the settlement.

Buckneberg expects people who file claims to receive checks early in 2013. To file a claim, go to LCDclass.com or call 1-855-225-1886 by Dec. 6.

-- John Ewoldt